Portable electronic device with two-piece housing

ABSTRACT

Portable electronic devices are provided. Each device may be formed from two parts. A first part may be provided with components such as a display, a touch screen, a cover glass, and a frame. A second part may be provided with a plastic housing, circuit boards containing electrical components, and a bezel. Engagement members may be connected to the first and second parts. The engagement members may be formed from metal clips with holes and springs with flexible spring prongs that mate with the holes in the clips. The metal clips may be welded to frame struts on the frame and the springs may be welded to the bezel. During assembly, the first part may be rotated into place within the second part. Retention clips attached to the frame may be used to secure the two parts together. Assembly instructions and associated connector numbers may be provided within the devices.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/897,003, filed Aug. 26, 2022, which is a continuation of patentapplication Ser. No. 17/174,158, filed Feb. 11, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No.11,438,024, which is a continuation of patent application Ser. No.16/718,627, filed Dec. 18, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,944,443, which isa continuation of patent application Ser. No. 15/098,742, filed Apr. 14,2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,594,351, which is a continuation of patentapplication Ser. No. 13/525,725, filed Jun. 18, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No.9,344,539, which is a continuation of patent application Ser. No.13/084,490, filed Apr. 11, 2011, which is a division of patentapplication Ser. No. 12/119,986, filed May 13, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No.7,933,123, which claims the benefit of provisional patent applicationNo. 61/044,445, filed Apr. 11, 2008, all of which are herebyincorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to portable electronic devices, andmore particularly, to portable electronic devices such as handheldelectronic devices.

Handheld electronic devices and other portable electronic devices arebecoming increasingly popular. Examples of handheld devices includehandheld computers, cellular telephones, media players, and hybriddevices that include the functionality of multiple devices of this type.Popular portable electronic devices that are somewhat larger thantraditional handheld electronic devices include laptop computers andtablet computers.

To satisfy consumer demand for small form factor devices such ashandheld electronic devices, manufacturers are continually striving toreduce the size of components that are used in these devices whileproviding enhanced functionality. Significant enhancements may bedifficult to implement, however, particularly in devices in whichnumerous components are used.

It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved handheldelectronic devices.

SUMMARY

A portable electronic device such as a handheld electronic device isprovided. The device may be formed from a tilt assembly and a housingassembly. During manufacturing, the tilt assembly may be inserted intothe housing assembly.

The tilt assembly may include a frame. The frame may have a plasticframe member that is overmolded on top of metal frame struts. A planarmid-plate member may be connected to the frame to provide additionalrigidity. Retention clips may be connected to one end of the frame.Threads in the retention clips may receive screws that may be used insecuring the tilt assembly to the housing assembly.

Components such as a display unit, touch sensor, and cover glass may bemounted within the frame.

The housing assembly may include a plastic housing member, a bezelconnected to the plastic housing member, and electrical componentsmounted within the plastic housing such as printed circuit boards,integrated circuits, etc.

Engagement members may be connected to the tilt assembly and housingassembly. During assembly, the engagement members may nondestructivelyengage one another to hold the tilt assembly within the housingassembly. In this configuration, the top surface of the cover glass maylie flush with the bezel on the housing assembly. The bezel may surroundthe cover glass. The frame may have a protrusion that surrounds thecover glass. The protrusion and other portions of the frame may form ashelf that supports the cover glass. To protect the cover glass fromscratches due to contact with the bezel, an elastomeric gasket may beinterposed between the bezel and the cover glass. The gasket may beformed over the protrusion.

One or both of the engagement members may be flexible enough to allowthe tilt assembly and the housing assembly to be taken apart withoutdamaging the engagement members. This allows the portable electronicdevice to be disassembled for rework or repair operations.

The engagement members may include metal clips and metal springs. Themetal clips may be welded to the frame struts. The metal springs may bewelded to the bezel. The metal clips may have elongated planar memberswith cut-out portions. The cut-out portions may define holes and may beformed by bending planar portions of the elongated planar members sothat they are angled inwardly. The bent planar portions of the clipsform shelf-like members adjacent to the holes. The springs may havespring prongs that flex during assembly. Following assembly operations,the prongs protrude into the holes and hold the tilt assembly to thehousing assembly. The prongs may have curved portions that bear againstthe planar shelf portions of the clips that are formed by the bentplanar portions of the elongated members. The use of curves and the bentplanar portions in the spring prongs and clip structures may help reduceharshness when inserting and removing the tilt assembly into the housingassembly and can improve mechanical tolerances.

Assembly instructions may be included within the housing. For example,laser etching techniques may be used to imprint instructions onto ametal can within the housing. Numbers or other assembly order indicatorsmay be formed next to parts of the device. For example, a number may beplaced next to each electrical connection that is to be formed. Theelectrical connections that are formed may include, zero-insertion-forceconnections, board-to-board connections, and coaxial cable connections.The instructions may refer to the assembly order indicators.

Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantageswill be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the followingdetailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative portable electronicdevice in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative portable electronicdevice in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an illustrative portableelectronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an illustrative portable electronic device inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an interior bottom view of an illustrative portable electronicdevice in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of an illustrative portable electronic device inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a partially assembled portableelectronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention showing how an upper portion of the device may be insertedinto a lower portion of the device.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a partially assembled portableelectronic device of the type shown in FIG. 7 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention showing how the upper portion of thedevice may be tilted downwards into the lower portion of the deviceduring assembly.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a fully assembled portable electronicdevice of the type shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative portableelectronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an upper device assembly in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a frame that may be used in forming anupper device assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a frame showing how agasket may be mounted to the frame to separate a bezel from a display inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a portion of a lower device housingassembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another portion of a lower devicehousing assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a portion of an upper device housingassembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another portion of an upper devicehousing assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional end view of a portable electronic device inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention showing howsprings may be used to hold an upper device assembly and lower deviceassembly together.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative spring and matchingclip that may be used to attach upper and lower housing portionstogether in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of another illustrative spring andmatching clip that may be used to attach upper and lower housingportions together in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative spring and matchingclip arrangement for securing housing portions together in a portableelectronic device arrangement in which the springs are attached to anupper housing assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an interior portion of a portabledevice housing showing how springs may be used to form a mounting regionfor an electronic component in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 23 is a top view of an illustrative coaxial cable connector inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a side view of an illustrative coaxial cable connector inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a side view of an illustrative board-to-board connector inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a top view of an illustrative board-to-board connector inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a top view of an illustrative zero-insertion-force connectorfor forming a connection with a flex circuit communications path inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a side view of an illustrative zero-insertion-force connectorfor forming a connection with a flex circuit communications path inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a top view of an interior portion of illustrative portableelectronic device having numbered connector regions and laser-etchedassembly instructions in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates generally to electronic devices, and moreparticularly, to portable electronic devices such as handheld electronicdevices.

The electronic devices may be portable electronic devices such as laptopcomputers or small portable computers of the type that are sometimesreferred to as ultraportables. Portable electronic devices may also besomewhat smaller devices. Examples of smaller portable electronicdevices include wrist-watch devices, pendant devices, headphone andearpiece devices, and other wearable and miniature devices. With onesuitable arrangement, the portable electronic devices may be wirelesselectronic devices.

The wireless electronic devices may be, for example, handheld wirelessdevices such as cellular telephones, media players with wirelesscommunications capabilities, handheld computers (also sometimes calledpersonal digital assistants), remote controllers, global positioningsystem (GPS) devices, and handheld gaming devices. The wirelesselectronic devices may also be hybrid devices that combine thefunctionality of multiple conventional devices. Examples of hybridportable electronic devices include a cellular telephone that includesmedia player functionality, a gaming device that includes a wirelesscommunications capability, a cellular telephone that includes game andemail functions, and a portable device that receives email, supportsmobile telephone calls, has music player functionality and supports webbrowsing. These are merely illustrative examples.

An illustrative portable electronic device in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 . Device 10 ofFIG. 1 may be, for example, a handheld electronic device that supports2G and/or 3G cellular telephone and data functions, global positioningsystem capabilities, and local wireless communications capabilities(e.g., IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth®) and that supports handheld computingdevice functions such as internet browsing, email and calendarfunctions, games, music player functionality, etc.

Device 10 may have housing 12. Antennas for handling wirelesscommunications may be housed within housing 12 (as an example).

Housing 12, which is sometimes referred to as a case, may be formed ofany suitable materials including, plastic, glass, ceramics, metal, orother suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. In somesituations, housing 12 or portions of housing 12 may be formed from adielectric or other low-conductivity material, so that the operation ofconductive antenna elements that are located in proximity to housing 12is not disrupted. Housing 12 or portions of housing 12 may also beformed from conductive materials such as metal. An advantage of forminghousing 12 from a dielectric material such as plastic is that this mayhelp to reduce the overall weight of device 10 and may avoid potentialinterference with wireless operations.

In scenarios in which housing 12 is formed from metal elements, one ormore of the metal elements may be used as part of the antennas in device10. For example, metal portions of housing 12 may be shorted to aninternal ground plane in device 10 to create a larger ground planeelement for that device 10.

Housing 12 may have a bezel 14. The bezel 14 may be formed from aconductive material or other suitable material. Bezel 14 may serve tohold a display or other device with a planar surface in place on device10 and/or may serve to form an esthetically pleasing trim around theedge of device 10. As shown in FIG. 1 , for example, bezel 14 may beused to surround the top of display 16. Bezel 14 and/or other metalelements associated with device 10 may be used as part of the antennasin device 10. For example, bezel 14 may be shorted to printed circuitboard conductors or other internal ground plane structures in device 10to create a larger ground plane element for device 10.

Display 16 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic lightemitting diode (OLED) display, or any other suitable display. Theoutermost surface of display 16 may be formed from one or more plasticor glass layers. If desired, touch screen functionality may beintegrated into display 16 or may be provided using a separate touch paddevice. An advantage of integrating a touch screen into display 16 tomake display 16 touch sensitive is that this type of arrangement cansave space and reduce visual clutter.

Display screen 16 (e.g., a touch screen) is merely one example of aninput-output device that may be used with electronic device 10. Ifdesired, electronic device 10 may have other input-output devices. Forexample, electronic device 10 may have user input control devices suchas button 19, and input-output components such as port 20 and one ormore input-output jacks (e.g., for audio and/or video). Button 19 maybe, for example, a menu button. Port 20 may contain a 30-pin dataconnector (as an example). Openings 22 and 24 may, if desired, formspeaker and microphone ports. Speaker port 22 may be used when operatingdevice 10 in speakerphone mode. Opening 23 may also form a speaker port.For example, speaker port 23 may serve as a telephone receiver that isplaced adjacent to a user's ear during operation. In the example of FIG.1 , display screen 16 is shown as being mounted on the front face ofhandheld electronic device 10, but display screen 16 may, if desired, bemounted on the rear face of handheld electronic device 10, on a side ofdevice 10, on a flip-up portion of device 10 that is attached to a mainbody portion of device 10 by a hinge (for example), or using any othersuitable mounting arrangement.

A user of electronic device 10 may supply input commands using userinput interface devices such as button 19 and touch screen 16. Suitableuser input interface devices for electronic device 10 include buttons(e.g., alphanumeric keys, power on-off, power-on, power-off, and otherspecialized buttons, etc.), a touch pad, pointing stick, or other cursorcontrol device, a microphone for supplying voice commands, or any othersuitable interface for controlling device 10. Although shownschematically as being formed on the top face of electronic device 10 inthe example of FIG. 1 , buttons such as button 19 and other user inputinterface devices may generally be formed on any suitable portion ofelectronic device 10. For example, a button such as button 19 or otheruser interface control may be formed on the side of electronic device10. Buttons and other user interface controls can also be located on thetop face, rear face, or other portion of device 10. If desired, device10 can be controlled remotely (e.g., using an infrared remote control, aradio-frequency remote control such as a Bluetooth® remote control,etc.).

Electronic device 10 may have ports such as port 20. Port 20, which maysometimes be referred to as a dock connector, 30-pin data portconnector, input-output port, or bus connector, may be used as aninput-output port (e.g., when connecting device 10 to a mating dockconnected to a computer or other electronic device). Port 20 may containpins for receiving data and power signals. Device 10 may also have audioand video jacks that allow device 10 to interface with externalcomponents. Typical ports include power jacks to recharge a batterywithin device 10 or to operate device 10 from a direct current (DC)power supply, data ports to exchange data with external components suchas a personal computer or peripheral, audio-visual jacks to driveheadphones, a monitor, or other external audio-video equipment, asubscriber identity module (SIM) card port to authorize cellulartelephone service, a memory card slot, etc. The functions of some or allof these devices and the internal circuitry of electronic device 10 canbe controlled using input interface devices such as touch screen display16.

Components such as display 16 and other user input interface devices maycover most of the available surface area on the front face of device 10(as shown in the example of FIG. 1 ) or may occupy only a small portionof the front face of device 10. Because electronic components such asdisplay 16 often contain large amounts of metal (e.g., asradio-frequency shielding), the location of these components relative tothe antenna elements in device 10 should generally be taken intoconsideration. Suitably chosen locations for the antenna elements andelectronic components of the device will allow the antennas ofelectronic device 10 to function properly without being disrupted by theelectronic components.

Examples of locations in which antenna structures may be located indevice 10 include region 18 and region 21. These are merely illustrativeexamples. Any suitable portion of device 10 may be used to house antennastructures for device 10 if desired.

A schematic diagram of an embodiment of an illustrative portableelectronic device such as a handheld electronic device is shown in FIG.2 . Portable device 10 may be a mobile telephone, a mobile telephonewith media player capabilities, a handheld computer, a remote control, agame player, a global positioning system (GPS) device, a laptopcomputer, a tablet computer, an ultraportable computer, a hybrid devicethat includes the functionality of some or all of these devices, or anyother suitable portable electronic device.

As shown in FIG. 2 , device 10 may include storage 34. Storage 34 mayinclude one or more different types of storage such as hard disk drivestorage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or otherelectrically-programmable-read-only memory), volatile memory (e.g.,battery-based static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc.

Processing circuitry 36 may be used to control the operation of device10. Processing circuitry 36 may be based on a processor such as amicroprocessor and other suitable integrated circuits. With one suitablearrangement, processing circuitry 36 and storage 34 are used to runsoftware on device 10, such as internet browsing applications,voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone call applications, emailapplications, media playback applications, operating system functions,etc. Processing circuitry 36 and storage 34 may be used in implementingsuitable communications protocols. Communications protocols that may beimplemented using processing circuitry 36 and storage 34 includeinternet protocols, wireless local area network protocols (e.g., IEEE802.11 protocols—sometimes referred to as Wi-Fi®), protocols for othershort-range wireless communications links such as the Bluetooth®protocol, protocols for handling 3G communications services (e.g., usingwide band code division multiple access techniques), 2G cellulartelephone communications protocols, etc.

To minimize power consumption, processing circuitry 36 may include powermanagement circuitry to implement power management functions. Duringoperation, the power management circuitry or other processing circuitry36 may be used to adjust power supply voltages that are provided toportions of the circuitry on device 10. For example, higherdirect-current (DC) power supply voltages may be supplied to activecircuits and lower DC power supply voltages may be supplied to circuitsthat are less active or that are inactive.

Input-output devices 38 may be used to allow data to be supplied todevice 10 and to allow data to be provided from device 10 to externaldevices. Display screen 16, button 19, microphone port 24, speaker port22, and dock connector port 20 are examples of input-output devices 38.

Input-output devices 38 can include user input-output devices 40 such asbuttons, touch screens, joysticks, click wheels, scrolling wheels, touchpads, key pads, keyboards, microphones, cameras, etc. A user can controlthe operation of device 10 by supplying commands through user inputdevices 40. Display and audio devices 42 may include liquid-crystaldisplay (LCD) screens or other screens, light-emitting diodes (LEDs),and other components that present visual information and status data.Display and audio devices 42 may also include audio equipment such asspeakers and other devices for creating sound. Display and audio devices42 may contain audio-video interface equipment such as jacks and otherconnectors for external headphones and monitors.

Wireless communications devices 44 may include communications circuitrysuch as radio-frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry formed from one ormore integrated circuits, power amplifier circuitry, passive RFcomponents, antennas, and other circuitry for handling RF wirelesssignals. Wireless signals can also be sent using light (e.g., usinginfrared communications).

Device 10 can communicate with external devices such as accessories 46,computing equipment 48, and wireless network 49 as shown by paths 50 and51. Paths 50 may include wired and wireless paths. Path 51 may be awireless path. Accessories 46 may include headphones (e.g., a wirelesscellular headset or audio headphones) and audio-video equipment (e.g.,wireless speakers, a game controller, or other equipment that receivesand plays audio and video content), a peripheral such as a wirelessprinter or camera, etc.

Computing equipment 48 may be any suitable computer. With one suitablearrangement, computing equipment 48 is a computer that has an associatedwireless access point (router) or an internal or external wireless cardthat establishes a wireless connection with device 10. The computer maybe a server (e.g., an internet server), a local area network computerwith or without internet access, a user's own personal computer, a peerdevice (e.g., another portable electronic device 10), or any othersuitable computing equipment.

Wireless network 49 may include any suitable network equipment, such ascellular telephone base stations, cellular towers, wireless datanetworks, computers associated with wireless networks, etc. For example,wireless network 49 may include network management equipment thatmonitors the wireless signal strength of the wireless handsets (cellulartelephones, handheld computing devices, etc.) that are in communicationwith network 49.

The antenna structures and wireless communications devices of device 10may support communications over any suitable wireless communicationsbands. For example, wireless communications devices 44 may be used tocover communications frequency bands such as cellular telephone voiceand data bands at 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz, and 2100 MHz (asexamples). Devices 44 may also be used to handle the Wi-Fi® (IEEE802.11) bands at 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz (also sometimes referred to aswireless local area network or WLAN bands), the Bluetooth® band at 2.4GHz, and the global positioning system (GPS) band at 1575 MHz.

Device 10 can cover these communications bands and/or other suitablecommunications bands with proper configuration of the antenna structuresin wireless communications circuitry 44. Any suitable antenna structuresmay be used in device 10. For example, device 10 may have one antenna ormay have multiple antennas. The antennas in device 10 may each be usedto cover a single communications band or each antenna may cover multiplecommunications bands. If desired, one or more antennas may cover asingle band while one or more additional antennas are each used to covermultiple bands. As an example, a pentaband cellular telephone antennamay be provided at one end of device 10 (e.g., in region 18) to handle2G and 3G voice and data signals and a dual band antenna may be providedat another end of device 10 (e.g., in region 21) to handle GPS and 2.4GHz signals. The pentaband antenna may be used to cover wireless bandsat 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz, and 2100 MHz (as an example).The dual band antenna 63 may be used to handle 1575 MHz signals for GPSoperations and 2.4 GHz signals (for Bluetooth® and IEEE 802.11operations). These are merely illustrative arrangements. Any suitableantenna structures may be used in device 10 if desired.

To facilitate manufacturing operations, device 10 may be formed from twointermediate assemblies, representing upper and lower portions of device10. The upper or top portion of device 10 is sometimes referred to as atilt assembly. The lower or bottom portion of device 10 is sometimesreferred to as a housing assembly.

The tilt and housing assemblies are each formed from a number of smallercomponents. For example, the tilt assembly may be formed from componentssuch as display 16 and an associated touch sensor. The housing assemblymay include a plastic housing portion 12 and printed circuit boards.Integrated circuits and other components may be mounted on the printedcircuit boards.

During initial manufacturing operations, the tilt assembly is formedfrom its constituent parts and the housing assembly is formed from itsconstituent parts. Because essentially all components in device 10 makeup part of these two assemblies, the finished assemblies represent anearly complete version of device 10. The finished assemblies may, ifdesired, be tested. If testing reveals a defect, repairs may be made ordefective assemblies may be discarded. During a final set ofmanufacturing operations, the tilt assembly is inserted into the housingassembly. With one suitable arrangement, one end of the tilt assembly isinserted into the housing assembly. The tilt assembly is then rotated(“tilted”) into place so that the upper surface of the tilt assemblylies flush with the upper edges of the housing assembly.

As the tilt assembly is rotated into place within the housing assembly,clips on the tilt assembly engage springs on the housing assembly. Theclips and springs form a detent that helps to align the tilt assemblyproperly with the housing assembly. Should rework or repair benecessary, the insertion process can be reversed by rotating the tiltassembly up and away from the housing assembly. During rotation of thetilt assembly relative to the housing assembly, the springs flex toaccommodate movement. When the tilt assembly is located within thehousing assembly, the springs press into holes in the clips to preventrelative movement between the tilt and housing assemblies. Rework andrepair operations need not be destructive to the springs, clips, andother components in the device. This helps to prevent waste andcomplications that might otherwise interfere with the manufacturing ofdevice 10. If desired, screws or other fasteners may be used to helpsecure the tilt assembly to the housing assembly. The screws may beinserted into the lower end of device 10. With one suitable arrangement,the screws are inserted in an unobtrusive portion of the end of device10 so that they are not noticeable following final assembly operations.Prior to rework or repair operations, the screws can be removed fromdevice 10.

An exploded perspective view showing illustrative components of device10 is shown in FIG. 3 .

Tilt assembly 60 (shown in its unassembled state in FIG. 3 ) may includecomponents such as cover 62, touch sensitive sensor 64, display unit 66,and frame 68. Cover 62 may be formed of glass or other suitabletransparent materials (e.g., plastic, combinations of one or moreglasses and one or more plastics, etc.). Display unit 66 may be, forexample, a color liquid crystal display. Frame 68 may be formed from oneor more pieces. With one suitable arrangement, frame 68 may includemetal pieces to which plastic parts are connected using an overmoldingprocess. If desired, frame 68 may be formed entirely from plastic orentirely from metal.

Housing assembly 70 (shown in its unassembled state in FIG. 3 ) mayinclude housing 12. Housing 12 may be formed of plastic and/or othermaterials such as metal (metal alloys). For example, housing 12 may beformed of plastic to which metal members are mounted using fasteners, aplastic overmolding process, or other suitable mounting arrangement.

As shown in FIG. 3 , handheld electronic device 10 may have a bezel suchas bezel 14. Bezel 14 may be formed of plastic or other dielectricmaterials or may be formed from metal or other conductive materials. Anadvantage of a metal (metal alloy) bezel is that materials such as metalmay provide bezel 14 with an attractive appearance and may be durable.If desired, bezel 14 may be formed from shiny plastic or plastic coatedwith shiny materials such as metal films.

Bezel 14 may be mounted to housing 12. Following final assembly, bezel14 may surround the display of device 10 and may, if desired, helpsecure the display onto device 10. Bezel 14 may also serve as a cosmetictrim member that provides an attractive finished appearance to device10.

Housing assembly 70 may include battery 74. Battery 74 may be, forexample, a lithium polymer battery having a capacity of about 1300mA-hours. Battery 74 may have spring contacts that allow battery 74 tobe serviced.

Housing assembly 70 may also include one or more printed circuit boardssuch as printed circuit board 72. Components may be mounted to printedcircuit boards such as microphone 76 for microphone port 24, speaker 78for speaker port 22, and dock connector 20, integrated circuits, acamera, ear speaker, audio jack, buttons, SIM card slot, etc.

A top view of an illustrative device 10 is shown in FIG. 4 . As shown inFIG. 4 , device 10 may have controller buttons such as volume up anddown buttons 80, a ringer A/B switch 82 (to switch device 10 betweenring and vibrate modes), and a hold button 88 (sleep/wake button). Asubscriber identity module (SIM) tray 86 (shown in a partially extendedstate) may be used to receive a SIM card for authorizing cellulartelephone services. Audio jack 84 may be used for attaching audioperipherals to device 10 such as headphone, a headset, etc.

An interior bottom view of device 10 is shown in FIG. 5 . As shown inFIG. 5 , device 10 may have a camera 90. Camera 90 may be, for example,a two megapixel fixed focus camera.

Vibrator 92 may be used to vibrate device 10. Device 10 may be vibratedat any suitable time. For example, device 10 may be vibrated to alert auser to the presence of an incoming telephone call, an incoming emailmessage, a calendar reminder, a clock alarm, etc.

Battery 74 may be a removable battery that is installed in the interiorof device 10 adjacent to dock connector 20, microphone 76, and speaker78.

A cross-sectional side view of device 10 is shown in FIG. 6 . FIG. 6shows the relative vertical positions of device components such ashousing 12, battery 74, printed circuit board 72, liquid crystal displayunit 66, touch sensor 64, and cover glass 62 within device 10. FIG. 6also shows how bezel 14 may surround the top edge of device 10 (e.g.,around the portion of device 10 that contains the components of display16 such as cover 62, touch screen 64, and display unit 66). Bezel 14 maybe a separate component or, if desired, one or more bezel-shapedstructures may be formed as integral parts of housing 12 or other devicestructures.

An illustrative process for assembling device 10 from tilt assembly 60and housing assembly 70 is shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , the assembly process may begin by inserting upperend 100 of tilt assembly 60 into upper end 104 of housing assembly 70.This process involves inserting tilt assembly 60 into housing assembly70 along direction 118 until protrusions (not shown in FIG. 7 ) on theupper end of tilt assembly 60 engage mating holes on housing assembly70. Once the protrusions on tilt assembly 60 have engaged with housingassembly 70, lower end 102 of tilt assembly 60 may be inserted intolower end 106 of housing assembly 70. Lower end 102 may be inserted intolower end 106 by pivoting tilt assembly 60 about axis 122. This causestilt assembly 60 to rotate into place as indicated by arrow 120.

Tilt assembly 60 may have clips such as clips 112 and housing assembly70 may have matching springs 114. When tilt assembly 60 is rotated intoplace within housing assembly 70, the springs and clips mate with eachother to hold tilt assembly 60 in place within housing assembly 70.

Tilt assembly 60 may have one or more retention clips such as retentionclips 116. Retention clips 116 may have threaded holes that mate withscrews 108. After tilt assembly has been inserted into housing assembly,screws 108 may be screwed into retention clips 116 through holes 110 inhousing assembly 70. This helps to firmly secure tilt assembly 60 tohousing assembly 70. Should rework or repair be desired, screws 108 maybe removed from retention clips 116 and tilt assembly 60 may be releasedfrom housing assembly 70. During the removal of tilt assembly 60 fromhousing assembly 70, springs 114 may flex relative to clips 112 withoutpermanently deforming. Because no damage is done to tilt assembly 60 orhousing assembly 70 in this type of scenario, nondestructive rework andrepair operations are possible.

FIG. 8 shows device 10 in a partially assembled state, in which tiltassembly 60 of FIG. 7 has been rotated further in direction 120 relativeto housing assembly 70 than in the state of FIG. 7 .

FIG. 9 shows device 10 in a fully assembled state in which tilt assembly60 has been mounted within housing assembly 70 and in which screws 108have been screwed into the retention clips on tilt assembly 60. As shownin FIG. 9 , holes 110 may provide a recessed region so that the ends ofscrews 108 do not protrude beyond the outer surface of housing 12.

A cross-sectional side view of device 10 that shows how screws 108 maypass through bezel 14 is shown in FIG. 10 . As shown in FIG. 10 , screw108 may have head 124 and tip 126. During assembly, a screwdriver orother tool engages a groove or other features on head 124 to rotatescrew 108 into place. Hole 110 in housing 12 may be a through hole thatprovides radial clearance between the outer edges of head 124 and innerwalls 140 of hole 110. Hole 138 in bezel 14 may be sized so that theunderside of head 124 presses against bezel 14. In particular, hole 138may have a diameter that is small enough to allow head surfaces 144 tobear against bezel surfaces 142. This pulls bezel 14 in direction 154.Retention clip 116 may have a threaded hole 128 into which tip 126 ofscrew 108 may be screwed. This pulls retention clip 116 in direction160.

When screw 108 is tightened, bezel 14 and retention clip 116 are pulledtowards each other. Bezel 14 is pulled in direction 154 and retentionclip 116 is pulled in direction 160, so that inner bezel surface 156 ofbezel 14 and outer retention clip surface 158 bear against each other.This helps to hold device 10 together and prevents unintentional removalof the tilt assembly from the housing assembly.

Retention clip 116 may be attached to frame 68 using any suitabletechnique (e.g., fasteners, adhesive, etc.). With one particularlysuitable arrangement, which is illustrated in FIG. 10 , retention clip116 may have an upper end with enlarged portion 132 and constrictedportion 130. Retention clip 116 may be formed from a durable materialsuch as metal. (All metal parts in device 10 may be formed fromelemental metals or metal alloys.) Frame 68 may be formed at leastpartly from a moldable material such as plastic. At end 102, the plasticof frame 68 in region 134 may be molded over enlarged portion 132 ofretention clip 116, thereby holding retention clip to frame 68.

Frame 68 may have lip-shaped protrusions such as protrusions 148.Protrusions 148 may help form a shelf for cover glass 62. In particular,protrusions 148 may form a shelf with inner surfaces 150 that hold outeredges 152 of cover 62.

A gasket such as gasket 146 may be interposed between bezel 14 and thedisplay of device 10. In particular, gasket 146 may be used to preventcover glass 62 from directly bearing against bezel 14. This may help toprevent rubbing between bezel 14 and cover glass 62, thereby preventingchips or scratches from forming in cover glass 62. Gasket 146 may beformed of thermoplastic urethane (TPU), silicone, polyester film, orother soft plastic (as an example). Gasket 146 may have any suitablecross-sectional shape. For example, gasket 146 may have a circular crosssection, gasket 146 may have a rectangular cross-section, etc. Gasket146 may help to seal the surface of the display portion of device 10 toprevent debris from entering device 10. Gasket 146 may also help tocenter the display within bezel 14 and may help to hide potentiallyunsightly portions of the display from view. The cover glass portion ofdisplay 16 may have one or more holes or cut-away portions. For example,glass 62 may have a hole that accommodates button 19 (FIG. 1 ). Glass 62may also have a hole that forms receiver port 23 (FIG. 1 ) toaccommodate sound from a speaker.

At tilt assembly end 100, frame 68 may have one or more protrusions suchas protrusion 136. These protrusions, which are sometimes referred to asteeth, tabs, or fingers, are used to hold end 100 of the tilt assemblyinto place within the housing assembly. As shown in FIG. 10 , bezel 14may have recesses such as hole 162 that receive teeth such as tooth 136.Holes such as hole 162 are preferably shallow enough to allow tiltassembly 60 to rotate in direction 120 as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9without damaging the teeth. Nondestructive rotation may also befacilitated by use of a curved underside portion in the teeth.

A perspective view of tilt assembly 60 is shown in FIG. 11 . As shown inFIG. 11 , tilt assembly 60 may include frame 68. Metal clips such asclip 112 may be mounted onto the frame (e.g., along length 164, as shownin FIG. 11 ).

Frame 68 may be formed of a single material (e.g., plastic or metal) or,more preferably, multiple materials. In embodiments in which frame 68 isformed from multiple materials, the weight of frame 68 may be minimizedwhile providing sufficient structural strength where most beneficial. Asshown in FIG. 12 , for example, frame 68 may have a main portion formedfrom a molded plastic frame member 166. One or more metal members may beattached to member 166. For example, metal frame struts 168 may beattached to member 166. Any suitable attachment mechanism may be used toconnect frame struts 168 to frame member 166. With one particularlysuitable arrangement, plastic frame member 166 molded onto metal framestruts 168 during manufacturing. This forms an integral frame 68 havingboth metal and plastic parts. Additional metal parts such as clips 112may be attached to frame struts 168. For example, clips 112 may bewelded to frame struts 168 or may be attached to frame struts 168 usingfasteners or adhesive. Clips 112 may be attached to struts 168 inregions such as region 164 (as an example).

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional side view of frame 68 taken along dottedline 170 and viewed in direction 172 of FIG. 12 . As shown in FIG. 13 ,frame struts 168 may be connected to plastic frame member 166 to formframe 68. Frame struts 168 may have holes or other interlocking featuresat periodic locations along their lengths that help the plastic of framemember 166 to securely engage frame struts 168 (e.g., in engagementregion 174).

Plastic frame member 166 may form a shelf that supports cover glass 62.The shelf may be formed by inner surface 150 of frame member protrusion148 and upper peripheral frame member surface 176. An advantage of usinga shelf that is formed of relatively soft materials is that this helpsprevent the shelf from damaging cover glass 62. If desired, portions ofgasket 146 such as gasket portion 178 of FIG. 13 may be interposedbetween edge 152 of cover glass 62 and shelf edge 150. This type ofarrangement may provide additional cushioning and may therefore furtherhelp to prevent damage to cover glass 62. Gasket 146 may bear againstbezel 14 along surface 178, which helps to prevent cover glass 62 fromdirectly touching bezel 14.

A perspective view of an interior portion of housing assembly 70 isshown in FIG. 14 . As shown in FIG. 14 , bezel 14 may be mounted toplastic housing portion 12. Spring 114 may be mounted to housingassembly 70 by welding spring 114 to bezel 14 or by otherwise attachingspring 114 securely (e.g., using fasteners, adhesive, etc.). Anadvantage of using springs and a bezel that are formed of metal is thatthis allows secure attachment mechanisms such as welds to be used toattach the springs. Satisfactory welds may be facilitated by usingmetals that do not have disparate properties. As an example, springs 114may be formed from the same material or substantially the same materialas bezel 14.

If, for example, bezel 14 is formed from stainless steel, springs 114may also be formed from stainless steel. The same principle applies toclips 112 and frame struts 168. The use of the same material for clips112 and struts 168 (e.g., stainless steel) may allow clips 112 to besatisfactorily welded to struts 168. An example of a stainless steelthat may provide suitable strength for use in components such as framestruts 168 and bezel 14 is 304 stainless (e.g., ¾ hard 304 stainless).In this type of situation, it may be desirable to form clips 112 andsprings 114 from 304 stainless, so that clips 112 may be readily weldedto frame struts 168 and so that springs 114 may be readily welded tobezel 14. The use of ¾ hard heat-treated stainless steel allows theseparts to be relatively strong while being bendable when sufficientlythin. In an illustrative configuration, frame struts 168 may be about0.4 mm thick and clips 112 and springs 114 may be about 0.2 mm thick (asan example).

Springs such as spring 114 of FIG. 14 may be formed from elongatedspring members such as spring member 180. Spring member 180 may be cutand bent to form spring prongs 182 (also sometimes referred to as springmembers or springs). Spring prongs 182 may have any suitable shape. Anadvantage of forming spring prongs with relatively narrow widths (asmeasured along longitudinal housing dimension 184) is that this allowsthe springs to flex during assembly. There may be any suitable number ofspring prongs in device 10. As an example, there may be one, two, three,four, five, or more than five spring prongs on the left and on the rightsides of device 10. If desired, springs may be mounted on other portionsof housing 12 (e.g., on the edge of housing 12 that lies along end 106(FIG. 7 ). An advantage of using springs and clips along the sides ofdevice 10 is that this helps to ensure that cover glass 62 lies flushwith the upper surfaces of bezel 14, giving device 10 an attractivefinished appearance.

If desired, springs 114 (i.e., spring members such as spring member 180)may be used to form a support structure to which components in device 10may be mounted. An arrangement of this type is shown in FIG. 15 . Asshown in FIG. 15 , spring member 180 may have portions that form abracket 186. Vibrator 92 (or other suitable components) may be attachedto spring member 180 using bracket 186. In particular, screws 192 may beused to connect vibrator mounting bracket 190 to bent tip portion 188 ofbracket 186 to hold vibrator 92 in place. An advantage of mountingmoving components such as vibrator 92 to a metal structure such asspring member 180 is that this enhances the robustness of device 10 andmakes device 10 less prone to failure.

Spring prongs 182 may flex during assembly. Following assembly, some orall of spring prongs 182 may engage clips 112 on tilt assembly 60. Asshown in FIG. 16 , each clip 112 may have a main elongated member 198.Elongated members such as elongated member 198 may be welded to framestruts 168 and may extend along the edge of tilt assembly 60 parallel tolongitudinal dimension 200. Elongated member 198 may be substantiallyplanar (as an example) and may have a planar surface aligned withlongitudinal dimension 200 and vertical dimension 202. Portions 194 ofelongated member 198 may be bent with respect to vertical dimension 202and with respect to the planar surface defined by dimensions 202 and200. Bending portions 194 inwardly away from the plane of elongatedmember 198 angles portions 194 inwardly so that bent portions 194 areangled with respect to vertical dimension 202. This forms holes 196 thatcan receive protruding spring prongs 182 (FIGS. 14 and 15 ) when tiltassembly 60 and housing assembly 70 are connected to each other. Holesmay also be formed by removing portions of elongated member 198, bybending or otherwise manipulating portions of member 198 sideways or inother directions, by bending multiple portions of member 198 within eachhole, etc. The arrangement of FIG. 16 in which holes 196 have beenformed by bending portions 194 down and inwards is merely illustrative.

With one suitable embodiment of tilt assembly 60, there is a member suchas member 198 that forms a clip on each side of tilt assembly 60. Theperspective view of FIG. 16 shows an illustrative clip 112 that has beenformed on the right side of tilt assembly 60. The perspective view ofFIG. 17 shows an illustrative clip 112 that has been formed on the leftside of tilt assembly 60.

A lateral cross-sectional view of an illustrative device 10 is shown inFIG. 18 . As shown in FIG. 18 , cover glass 62 may be mounted on top ofdevice 10. An adhesive layer such as adhesive layer 204 may be formedbetween cover glass layer 62 and touch sensor 64. Touch sensor 64 maybe, for example, a capacitive multitouch sensor (as an example). Touchsensor 64 may be mounted above a display unit such as liquid crystaldisplay unit 66. Display unit 66 may be mounted above frame member 206.Frame member 206, which is sometimes referred to as a “mid-plate member”may be formed of a strong material such as metal (e.g., 304 stainlesssteel). Frame member 206 may have vertical portions 208. Verticalportions 208 may be attached to frame struts 168 by screws, othersuitable fasteners, welds, adhesive, etc. Frame member 206 helps form arigid platform for the components (such as display unit 66, sensor 64,and cover glass 62) that are associated with the tilt assembly. Inaddition to providing structural support, mid-plate frame member 206 mayalso provide electrical grounding (e.g., for integrated circuits,printed circuit board structures, for antennas in wireless devices 44,etc.).

As described in connection with FIG. 13 , frame struts 168 may beattached to frame member 166 of frame 68. For example, frame member 166may be formed from plastic that is molded over frame struts 168 and thatengages frame struts 168 in engagement region 174. Frame protrusion 148and gasket 146 may be used to separate glass 62 from bezel 14.

Springs 114 may be welded or otherwise mounted to bezel 14. When thetilt assembly is mounted in the housing assembly as shown in FIG. 18 ,spring prongs 182 protrude into the holes such as holes 196 that areformed by bent portions 194 in clips 112.

A cross-sectional view of spring 114 and clip 112 is shown in FIG. 19 .As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 19 , angled portion 194 ofclip 112 forms a rigid substantially planar shelf-like member thatbiases the tip of spring prong 182 upwards at lower biasing point 210.Spring prong 182 is also engaged by member 198 of clip 112 at upperbiasing point 216. Biasing point 210 retards movement of spring 114 andhousing assembly 70 in downward direction 220 relative to tilt assembly60. Biasing point 216 retards movement of spring 114 and housingassembly 70 in upward direction 218 relative to tilt assembly 60. Planarmember 194 is oriented along axis 222 and is angled with respect tovertical dimension 202. If desired, member 194 may flex somewhat alongits length and may pivot somewhat about point 224.

The flexibility of spring prongs 182, the optional flexibility of planarmember 194, and the angled orientation of planar member 194 makes theengagement arrangement formed by springs 114 and clips 112 tolerant tomanufacturing deviations. For example, consider the situation in whichmanufacturing deviations cause spring prong 182 to be positioned whereindicated by dashed outline 214 in FIG. 19 . This type of position mightresult, for example, from a weld location misalignment in spring 114 orin clip 112 (or both) or a deviation in the desired bend angle formember 194 or prong 182. As a result of such misalignment, spring prong182 presses against biasing member 194 at biasing point 212 instead ofat biasing point 210. Despite this deviation in the biasing pointlocation from its nominal position, there will still be good engagementbetween spring prong 182 and clip member 198. For example, although thelower biasing point is altered (from point 210 to point 212), upperbiasing point 216 will still generally bias clip 114 in downwardsdirection 220 toward its desired location. The angled orientation ofmember 194 and the curved shape of spring prong 182 therefore helps toaccommodate manufacturing variations. The smoothly curved shape ofspring prongs 182 may also help to prevent the insertion and removalprocess from being too harsh when engaging and disengaging the tilt andhousing assemblies from each other.

If desired, alternative spring and clip arrangements may be used. Anexample of an alternative spring and clip configuration is shown in FIG.20 . As shown in FIG. 20 , it is not necessary to form a bent member inclip 112. Rather, spring prongs such as spring prong 182 of FIG. 20 maybe accommodated in a hole 196 that has been formed by removing a regionof metal (or other suitable material) from within elongated member 198of clip 112.

As shown in FIG. 21 , it is not necessary to form holes 196 in metalclips such as clips 112. In the FIG. 21 example, holes 196 have beenformed from recesses in housing 12.

Moreover, as the example of FIG. 21 demonstrates, it is not necessary toform clips 112 on tilt assembly 60 and springs 114 on housing assembly70. If desired, springs 114 and spring prongs 182 may be attached totilt assembly 60 and holes 196 (whether integral to housing 12 orwhether formed from clips 112) may be formed as part of housing assembly70. An advantage of forming springs 114 on housing assembly 70 (e.g., asshown in FIG. 14 ) is that this reduces the likelihood that springs 114might scratch bezel 14 during insertion of tilt assembly 60 into housingassembly 70.

As described in connection with FIG. 15 , because springs 114 areattached to bezel 14 and thereby housing 12, springs 114 may be used toform a mounting structure for components such as vibrator 92. Inparticular, a spring such as spring 114 of FIG. 22 may be configured toform a mounting bracket 186 having a horizontal planar member 188.During component mounting operations, fasteners such as screws 192 ofFIG. 15 may be inserted into holes 226 (FIG. 22 ).

When assembling device 10, it is generally necessary to make electricalconnections between components such as the components on tilt assembly60 and housing assembly 70. For example, electrical connections may bemade between the circuitry associated with the printed circuit boardstructures of housing assembly 70 and the display unit and sensor indisplay 16. Electrical connections may also be made between the printedcircuit board circuitry and components such as the receiver speaker ofport 23, microphone 76, speaker 78, and a proximity sensor (e.g., asensor that detects the presence of a human body in close proximity todevice 10). Such electrical connections may be made using a flexiblecircuit structure formed from a pattern of conductive traces on aflexible printed circuit substrate such as a polyimide-based substrate(sometimes referred to as a “flex circuit”). Electrical connectionsshould generally also be made for buttons such as volume up and downbuttons, ringer on/off buttons, hold buttons, etc. Antennas in regions18 and 21 may also be electrically connected to circuitry on the printedcircuit board structures of housing assembly 70.

Different electrical connections use different types of electricalconnectors. For example, radio-frequency signals that are conveyed toand from the antennas in device 10 may be carried over transmissionlines such as coaxial cable transmission lines (i.e., micro-coax).Connections in this type of radio-frequency transmission line path maytherefore involve micro-coax connectors. As another example, when twoprinted circuit boards are joined, it may be desirable to use so-calledboard-to-board connectors. Flex circuits can be connected usingconnectors such as zero-insertion-force (ZIF) connectors. Still otherconnectors may be used in other contexts.

The need to make numerous electrical connections of one or more typesmay make assembly challenging for unskilled workers. Device 10 maytherefore use a numbering system in which the connections that are to bemade are numbered. The numbering system that is used may, for example,number the connections that are to be made in a preferred or requiredorder of assembly. Instructions may be included in the interior of thedevice. For example, instructions may be laser-etched into a metalsurface such as an electromagnetic shielding “can” that covers one ormore integrated circuits on the printed circuit board structures ofhousing assembly 70.

A top view of an illustrative coaxial cable connector is shown in FIG.23 . As shown in FIG. 23 , coaxial cable 228 may be attached to coaxialcable connector 230. Coaxial cable connector 230 may be connected toanother coaxial cable, a printed circuit board, a flex circuit, anantenna, combinations of such structures, or any other suitableelectrical structure.

FIG. 24 is a side view of an illustrative coaxial cable connector of thetype shown in FIG. 23 . In the example of FIG. 24 , coaxial connector230 is shown in a disconnected state. Upper portion 232 of connector 230is connected to coaxial cable 228. Lower portion 234 of connector 230 ismounted to electrical structures 236 such as a flex circuit, printedcircuit board, etc. Traces within structure 236 such as traces 238 maybe used to electrically connect lower connector half 234 of coaxialcable connector 230 to circuitry within device 10 (e.g., an antenna, atransceiver, etc.). Connector portions 232 and 234 may be interconnectedduring assembly as indicated schematically by dotted line 240.

An example of a board-to-board connector is presented in connection withFIGS. 25 and 26 . As shown in FIG. 25 , board-to-board connector 242 mayinclude an upper-half connector portion 244 and a lower-half connectorportion 250. Both the upper and lower portions of connector 242 may havenumerous pins such as pins 246 on connector portion 244 and pin 248 onconnector portion 250. In the FIG. 25 example, connector 242 isdisassembled, because male connector part 244 has not yet been connectedto female connector part 250. During assembly, this connection is madeto interconnect electrical structures to which connector parts 244 and250 are mounted. As shown in the FIG. 25 example, connector part 244 maybe electrically connected to traces 258 in electrical structure 260 andconnector part 250 may be electrically connected to traces 250 inelectrical structure 254. Structures 260 and 254 may be printed circuitboards.

A top view of board-to-board connector 242, which presents anillustrative layout for pins such as pints 246 and 248 is shown in FIG.26 .

Board-to-board connectors such as connector 242 of FIGS. 25 and 26 maybe used whenever it is desired to electrically interconnect structuressuch as printed circuit boards (e.g., when they are mounted on top ofeach other). Because there are typically numerous pins in aboard-to-board connector such as a printed circuit board, the use of aboard-to-board connector may be preferable to using wires or cables tomake a connection. Moreover, unlike hardwired solder connectors,board-to-board connectors may be readily disconnected when desired forrework or repair.

Flex circuits may be used to form connections between different parts ofdevice 10. Flex circuits have advantages over conventional parallel buswires such as reduced size and weight. Flex circuits may also be lessexpensive to manufacture in large quantities than other types ofinterconnects and provide geometric flexibility when designing andassembly complex structures. In a typical arrangement, a flex circuitmight be attached at one end to a series of components (e.g., dockconnector 20, acoustic components, sensors, etc.). At the other end, theflex circuit may need to be connected to circuitry on a printed circuitboard. This type of connection may be formed using a socket-typeconnector that is configured to receive a flex circuit (sometimesreferred to as a zero-insertion-force or ZIF connector).

A top view of an illustrative flex circuit 262 and zero-insertion forceflex circuit connector 264 is shown in FIG. 27 . During assembly, flexcircuit 262 is inserted into connector 264 in direction 266. This causesexposed traces 268 in region 274 to electrically connect with matingconductors 270 in region 272 of connector 264. As shown in the side viewof FIG. 28 , connector 264 may have a lever 276 that may be actuated bypressing downwards in direction 278. When lever 276 is pressed downwardsin this way, the pins of connector 264 engage the flex circuit traces offlex circuit 262 and form a solid set of electrical connections.

The connector types shown in FIGS. 23-28 are merely illustrative. Device10 may use one, two, three, or more than three different types ofconnectors in interconnecting its electrical components. Some or all ofthese connectors may, if desired, be non-destructive connectors havingmating parts that can be disconnected if desired for rework or repairoperations. An advantage to using connectors that can be repeatedlyconnected and disconnected is that this may reduce waste in the event ofa rework or repair.

Particularly in assembly environments in which there are numerousconnections that need to be made, assembly operations may be challengingfor unskilled workers who are unfamiliar with the assembly process.Device 10 may therefore include a set of numbers to help guide workersduring the assembly process. An example of this type of arrangement isshown in FIG. 29 .

FIG. 29 shows an illustrative interior view of device 10. As shown inFIG. 29 , device 10 may include components such as integrated circuitsencased in electromagnetic shielding (“cans”) such as housings 280 and282. Device 10 may also include one or more modules such as module 284.Module 284 may be, for example, a module that includes acousticcomponents such as a microphone, speaker, etc. Dock connector 20 may beconnected to a module such as module 284.

Regions such as regions 286 and 288 may include exposed circuit boards,one or more discrete components, flex circuits, or other suitableelectrical components.

The components of device 10 may be interconnected by communicationspaths. The communications paths may be, for example, transmission linepaths such as coaxial cable paths, flex circuits, board-to-board pathssupported by printed circuit board traces, etc., as described inconnection with FIGS. 23-28 . An illustrative communications path isshown as path 292 in FIG. 29 .

As shown in FIG. 29 , assembly order indicators such as numbers 290 maybe formed on device 10. The assembly order indicators may be provided inthe form of any suitable markings that indicate a preferred or requiredorder of assembly for the connectors that are used in interconnectingthe electrical components of device 10. Examples of suitable indicatorsinclude Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3, . . . ), Roman numerals, Chinesenumerals, letters (e.g., A, B, C . . . or comparable letters in otheralphabets), combinations of numerals and letters (e.g., A1, A2, B1, B2,B3, C1, . . . ), or symbols (e.g., *, **, ***, etc.). The indicatorspreferably denote a desired assembly order or orders and may, ifdesired, be followed in reverse order by a worker who wishes to partlyor fully disassembly a device for rework or repair.

To assist workers in deciphering the assembly/disassembly orderindicators and/or to provide other suitable guidance for the workers,device 10 may include instructions such as instructions 294.Instructions 294 may be laser-etched on the metal surface of cans suchas can 280, may be printed on can 280 or other suitable surface of thecomponents of device 10, may be printed on a label that is affixedwithin device 10, may be inscribed on an interior portion of case 12, ormay be otherwise formed on device 10. Assembly and disassemblyinstructions (e.g., instructions referring to the assembly order) mayalso be included in software and displayed using display 16, althoughthis type of arrangement will generally only be practical if device 10is at least partly operational).

Instructions 294 may be written instructions that include, for example,explanatory text (e.g., in English, Chinese, or other suitablelanguage). Instructions 294 may also be partly or completely formed fromsymbolic instructions (e.g., a diagram showing how parts should beconnected, a list of corresponding assembly order indicators, etc.).Instructions 294 may, if desired, include information on the proper useof device 10, legal notices, etc.

The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this inventionand various modifications can be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: atouch-sensitive display; a display cover glass overlapping thetouch-sensitive display; a rear glass housing member; and a metalhousing member that extends between the display cover glass and the rearglass housing member, wherein the metal housing member extends at leastpartially around a perimeter of the touch-sensitive display.
 2. Theelectronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the touch-sensitive displaycovers most of a front face of the electronic device.
 3. The electronicdevice defined in claim 1 further comprising a frame that couples thedisplay cover layer to the metal housing member.
 4. The electronicdevice defined in claim 3 further comprising first and second screwsthat attach the metal housing member to the frame.
 5. The electronicdevice defined in claim 4 further comprising a data port interposedbetween the first and second screws.
 6. The electronic device defined inclaim 3 wherein the frame has a shelf that supports the display coverglass.
 7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the framecomprises a metal member and a plastic member.
 8. The electronic devicedefined in claim 7 wherein the plastic member is overmolded onto themetal member.
 9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 furthercomprising: an antenna configured for cellular communications.
 10. Theelectronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the metal housing memberforms at least part of the antenna.
 11. An electronic device,comprising: first and second glass layers; a display interposed betweenthe first and second glass layers, wherein the display comprises acapacitive touch sensor configured to detect touch input on the firstglass layer; and a metal housing element extending between the first andsecond glass layers.
 12. The electronic device defined in claim 11further comprising a frame that couples the first glass layer to themetal housing element.
 13. The electronic device defined in claim 12further comprising first and second screws that pass through the metalhousing element to couple the metal housing element to the frame. 14.The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the frame comprises aplastic portion and a metal portion.
 15. The electronic device definedin claim 14 wherein the plastic portion is overmolded onto the metalportion.
 16. An electronic device having opposing front and rear faces,comprising: a cover glass on the front face; a glass housing member onthe rear face; a metal housing member extending between the cover glassand the glass housing member; a display interposed between the coverglass and the glass housing member; and a frame that couples the coverglass to the metal housing member.
 17. The electronic device defined inclaim 16 wherein the display comprises a capacitive touch sensorconfigured to detect touch input on the cover glass.
 18. The electronicdevice defined in claim 16 wherein the frame comprises a molded plasticportion.
 19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein themolded plastic portion forms a shelf for the cover glass.
 20. Theelectronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising an antennaconfigured for cellular communications, wherein the metal housing memberforms part of the antenna.